By Michaela Gordoni
Jay Leno is dedicated to his wife, Mavis, through and through.
“When you get married, you sort of take a vow: ‘Will I live up to this?” Leno said on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” “Or will I be like a sleazy guy if something happens to my wife, I’m out [in a sexual relationship with] the cashier at the mini mart?” he continued.
“No, I didn’t,” Leno said. “I enjoy the time with my wife. I go home, I cook dinner for her, watch TV and it’s okay.”
Leno said his life isn’t much different than what it was like before Mavis developed dementia. He does have to feed her and take care of her more, but he’s happy to do it.
“I like it. I like taking care of her. She’s a very independent woman, so I like that I’m needed,” he said.
Recently, he’s been helping her remember things through flashcards.
“It’s kind of fun,” Leno said. “I go, ‘Honey, that’s President Obama. Remember we had dinner?’ [She’ll say], ‘Oh, not me.’ [And I’ll say], ‘Yeah, honey, that was you!'”
Leno takes his role as a husband very seriously.
“At some point in my life, I’m gonna be called upon to defend myself. I think that’s really what defines a marriage. I mean, that’s really what love is,” he explained.
“That’s what you do…I’m glad I didn’t run off with some woman half my age or any of that silly nonsense,” he said. “I would rather be with her than doing something else.”
Though their situation is not “ideal,” Leno still wants to be by her side, always.
Related: Jay Leno Given Conservatorship for Wife With Dementia
“I would still rather be with her than not be with her,” he said.
He notes that he’s able to find “humor” with her and shared a story of buying her $700 shoes that looked like a $24 pair. At her insistence, he bought them for her anyway, USA Today reported.
This month marks one year since Leno was appointed conservator for Mavis’ estate. CNN reported that the judge ruled there was “clear and convincing evidence that a conservatorship of the estate is necessary and appropriate,” as Mavis is “unable” to manage her financial affairs.
In the court filings, Mavis’ neurologist, Dr. Hart Cohen, said Leno is “such a nice man and treats [Mavis] like gold.” He’s “a standup guy” whose “private persona matches the public persona he projects.”
Mavis’ court-appointed counsel, Ronald Ostrin, clarified that Mavis “sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth.” She “has a lot of disorientation, will ruminate about her parents who have both passed and her mother who died about 20 years ago.” He said Mavis sees Jay as “her protector and she trusts him.”
“In sickness and in health…” Leno lives out a great example of steadfast love.
Read Next: Jay Leno Protects Wife as She Battles Dementia: ‘She Trusts Him’
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